My USB Mouse in No Longer Recognized by Chromebook

If your mouse is suddenly not recognized by your Chromebook, there are few methods to try and solve this issue.

I suspect there is a driver issue with Chromebook OS (Build 108.0.5359.75) so installing a brand new mouse may not necessarily resolve this issue.

Method #1 – try your “non-working” mouse on another PC

  • If your mouse is not recognized by another PC, either your battery is dead or transceiver/mouse is broken
    • Insert a fresh battery and try again
    • Logitech provides 1 or 2 year warranty on their mouse devices; if you do not have a receipt, Logitech may replace a single device as a courtesy (meaning you cannot submit a bunch of broken devices without receipts). You can submit your warranty claim here
  • If your mouse is recognized by another PC, proceed to Method #2

Method #2 – Chromebook refresh/reset

Most school-issued Chromebooks are locked down so you cannot turn on the Linux IDE feature so your reset options are limited. Follow these steps and see if your problem gets resolved.

  • Log out and power down your Chromebook
  • Disconnect all peripherals (HDMI, USB-C, etc.)
  • Wait 3 minutes
  • Hold down the REFRESH key (semi-circle with an arrow, usually an F5 key) and the POWER button to turn on your Chromebook
  • Once your screen displays either a Google or Chromebook logo, release both keys
  • Log into your Chromebook
  • Plug in your “non-working” mouse transceiver to see if is recognized
  • If your mouse is still not recognized, proceed to Method #3

Method #3 – Purchase a new mouse

This may sound crazy but when my daughter was experiencing this same problem, I gave her a brand mouse (same make/model) but it also did not work.

Curious, I tried that brand new mouse on my PC and saw that it was working fine.

So I got even more curious so I took my existing mouse, which happened to be the same make and model as the new replacement mouse I gave to my daughter, and tried on her Chromebook and it worked!?

Conclusion

Without “jailbreaking” her Chromebook and digging and find out what is going on, I am left to wonder if that USB port will ultimately fail sometime in the future.

If you purchased a warranty through school, it is definitely worth getting your child’s Chromebook replaced before something else goes wrong.

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